JRE MMA Show #117 with Marlon "Chito" Vera

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• Tattoo Culture & Pain: The conversation heavily revolves around the pain, process, and artists behind tattoos. Specific body parts (back, elbow, leg, neck) are discussed for their varying pain levels, along with the influence of substances like cannabis and alcohol on the tattooing experience.
• UFC Matchmakers & Industry Pressures: Joe Rogan and Marlon Vera discuss the demanding roles of UFC matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard, highlighting the immense pressure, constant demands from fighters and managers, and the burnout experienced by some (like Joe Silva).
• Fighter Mentality & Durability: The psychological and physical impact of repeated knockouts on a fighter's ability to take a punch is explored, using Cody Garbrandt and Chuck Liddell as examples. The longevity of fighters like Glover Teixeira is also admired.
• Training Philosophy & Discipline: Vera shares his "immigrant mentality" towards training, emphasizing year-round conditioning and continuous skill development rather than a seasonal approach focused only on fight camps. He contrasts his methods (long-distance running, explosiveness) with those of others.
• Chito Vera's Origins & Journey: Vera recounts his unique childhood in Ecuador, including informal street fights at age four, growing up on a farm, and his persistent quest to begin formal martial arts training despite initial family opposition and societal expectations.
• First Fight Experience: Vera vividly describes his first amateur MMA fight, which took place in an incredibly unconventional and unregulated setting in a car mechanic's shop in Quito.

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• The detailed and often humorous accounts of tattoo pain, with Vera describing his arm shaking during a back tattoo and the awkwardness of an inner-thigh tattoo.
• Marlon Vera's experience getting tattooed by the legendary Mr. Cartoon, where he smoked strong "pure gossip" weed, making him "way too high" and sensitive to the pain. He contrasts this with alcohol's pain-dulling effect.
• UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby's memorable reaction to Vera's neck tattoo: "you f***ing idiot, you won't be able to get a job!" and Vera's confident retort years later, "I told you I'm an idiot but I told you."
• The sobering discussion on how repeated KOs can lead a fighter's brain to "shut off easier," recognizing the imminent punishment, a concept Chito learned from Chuck Liddell.
• Chito's powerful articulation of his "immigrant mentality" for training – staying ready and constantly improving "seven days a week," unlike those who only push when a fight is scheduled.
• The wild anecdote of Vera's childhood in Ecuador, where his brothers would arrange fights between a four-year-old Chito and homeless kids for entertainment, which he surprisingly enjoyed and actively sought out.
• Vera's detailed and almost unbelievable description of his first amateur MMA fight: an underground event in a car mechanic shop with a makeshift "rooster cage" that was dangerously constructed, no proper warm-up, and a boiled mouthpiece.

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• Chito on back tattoo pain: "On my back, you're crying. There was no crying, but about to. There were points that my arm were shaking without me moving it."
• Chito on the awkwardness of an inner thigh tattoo: "I was usually thinking about like what's worse, the guy pushing my dick away or the pain right there because it was so painful that I was like wow I'm hurting."
• Chito on the difference between weed and alcohol for tattoo pain: "When I'm drinking though, drinking you know barely feel sh*t... I definitely smoke all the time I get it to two and doesn't that would hurt? Oh it hurts more... because you're like you're super sensitive."
• Sean Shelby's warning to Chito about his neck tattoo: "You f***ing idiot, you won't be able to get a job!" Chito's reply: "I don't need a job, you gave me a job."
• Chito on the nature of MMA: "This is not this sport, I don't even call it, I don't think this is a sport, this is fighting. It's fighting, so you better be trained the whole time."
• Chito on his relentless work ethic: "I call it the immigrant mentality. Yeah, immigrant all f***ing day, seven days a week."
• Chito on his early aspirations: "I came saying that to everybody, I want to be a UFC fighter and people you would laugh about it's like 'dude you're nothing you never train your life,' it doesn't matter I want to be a UFC fighter."

Overall Themes

• Resilience and Drive: Marlon Vera's story is a testament to unwavering determination, showcasing his journey from childhood street fights and unconventional training environments to becoming a high-level UFC fighter through sheer will and persistent effort.
• The Unseen Costs of Combat Sports: The discussion highlights the physical and mental tolls associated with MMA, from the brutal pressure on matchmakers to the long-term impact of head trauma and the sacrifice required for consistent peak performance.
• Discipline Beyond the Season: A strong theme of the podcast is the importance of year-round discipline and an "immigrant mentality" towards training, emphasizing that true fighters are always working to improve, not just when a fight is scheduled.
• The Power of Vision: Chito's early conviction that he would become a UFC fighter, inspired by Georges St-Pierre, demonstrates how a clear vision, even against initial skepticism, can fuel an extraordinary path to success.